Another nightmare?

Lloyd nervously eyed the roaring black behemoth in front of him. This was a dream. It had to be. A very lucid dream, he knew he was asleep. It felt very real for a dream, the darkness the monster exuded was suffocating, but it wasn't his first time seeing this thing when he closed his eyes. Where had his brain come up with this?

Lloyd shivered. The monster wasn't getting closer, he wasn't sure if that was because it didn't see him (it didn't have any eyes) or it just didn't care. Its mere existence made his skin crawl. If it actually started to move towards him…

Light suddenly burst out above the creature's head. The light seemed to dim the darkness, even the roars became muffled. He felt like he could breathe normally again.

An unfamiliar female voice came from the light. "Rise, Lloyd. The time has come for you to awaken." Lloyd tried to squint through the brightness to see who was speaking, but he couldn't even make out a shape. "You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you…" What the…? Was this a stress dream like the others said? Where was this coming from? Why would his subconscious come up with this? This light and voice were new. "The time has come for you to awaken, Lloyd."

Before Lloyd could even try to ask questions, the monster lunged upwards, chomping at the light and the light vanished. The roars grew loud again. They were starting to sound… different though. And they weren't coming from the monster anymore. They sounded like-

Lloyd turned to his left and came face to face with a loftwing, its beak barely an inch from his face. He lurched back as it opened its beak to let out another screech. The quick movement sent Lloyd tumbling and- he was on the floor of his bedroom.

Lloyd blinked blearily, barely awake. Half his body was still entangled in his sheets. He'd fallen off his bed. Zelda's loftwing gazing down at him. It let out a gentler trill then spat a piece of paper onto his face. Then it flew off, a couple stray blue feathers floating to the ground.

Plucking the paper from his face, Lloyd sat up. It was an envelope. It had been delivered by Zelda's bird so he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

Opening the seal, he saw Zelda's neat, somewhat swirly handwriting scrawled across the page. With a yawn, he began to read the letter.

'Hey, sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep, so I'm sure this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? Rise and shine, Lloyd! Today's the Wing Ceremony. You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You'd better not keep me waiting.- Zelda'

A smile slipped onto Lloyd's lips. She wasn't wrong. He'd better get going.

He threw on his clothes and rushed out of his dorm. He'd go out through the second-floor doors, he and Zelda were meeting up at the goddess statue.

Almost everyone was up by now. It wasn't that early and today was the Wing Ceremony. Even the students not participating were excited to watch. As he neared the kitchen, he saw Cole, Jay, and Fledge helping the cook move boxes and barrel's full of cooking supplies. Cloud cakes would be served after each race and pretty much everyone in Skyloft would be there. They needed a lot of cake.

"Hey, Lloyd," Cole greeted.

"Guess not even you can sleep in today, huh?" Jay joked.

"I promised to meet with Zelda before the race," Lloyd explained.

"You'll do amazing in the race," Fledge encouraged timidly, struggling to push his box towards the kitchen entrance.

"Say hi to Zelda for us," Cole added, reaching over to help Fledge lift the box- or more like Cole carried to box while Fledge was holding on too. "I'm sure she'll do great as the goddess."

"I will," Lloyd nodded. "I'll see you guys at the race." He wouldn't have time to meet up with them after seeing Zelda. He was kind of cutting things close already. It was, admittedly, a good thing Zelda had sent her bird.

As Lloyd stepped outside, he was greeted with clear blue skies. Perfect. It would've sucked if the race had to be cancelled because of a storm. He hurried towards the stairway to the goddess statue, only pausing to give Zelda's remlit, Mia, a quick pet.

Passing through the archway, he spotted Zelda over by the statue base. Her back was towards him, so she hadn't seen him yet. He stopped himself from calling out to her when he heard music floating on the breeze accompanied by Zelda's singing.

"Oh youuuth, guided, by the, serrrvant of theee godd-ess… Uuunite earrrth and skyyy… briiing light to the land." The song sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe he'd heard it at a previous Wing Ceremony. Zelda was such a good singer.

She must have sensed him approaching because she stopped and turned around. "Hey!" she greeted cheerfully. "Good morning, Lloyd! I'm glad to see my loftwing got you out of bed. I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning."

"I wouldn't have forgetton…" Lloyd protested, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly.

"But you would have slept in," Zelda finished. She shook her head in fond exasperation. "Anyways-" she held out the golden stringed instrument she'd been strumming. He didn't remember what it was called, but he'd seen other girls with it at other ceremonies. It looked very fancy with its shining gold and winged pattern. "-look at this instrument! And look at this outfit!"

She was wearing a beautiful pink dress, a white wrap, and an ornate belt of golden circles that had a square of blue cloth with the Skyloft crest hanging off it on her left side. He'd seen other girls in the outfit, but Lloyd thought Zelda wore it best. The look fit her perfectly.

"They're mine to use today for the ceremony," Zelda continued. "Since I'll be playing the role of the goddess. Aren't they beautiful? Especially the instrument. They tell me it's just like the one the goddess was said to have in the legends. It sounds gorgeous too."

Lloyd nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it really has a divine air about it. What is it called again?"

"Father says it's called a harp," Zelda told him. "I've been practicing for months to make sure I play it right. I also made the wrap myself-" she tipped her head down at the white cloth around her shoulders. "-and we get to use it in today's ceremony! Between this harp and this outfit, I'm going to make a great goddess today! I got you up early this morning because I wanted you to be the first to see me like this, Lloyd. So…" She twirled around to show off the outfit. "how do I look?"

"You look amazing!" Lloyd told her honestly. "Best goddess we've ever had."

"Hehe," Zelda giggled gleefully. "I don't know about best but I do think I look good. I'm glad you think so too."

"Ah, there you are Zelda." They both turned to see Chief Gaepora walking up the path towards them. "Are you all prepared for today?"

"Oh, hello, father," Zelda greeted. "Yes, I'm ready."

The man stopped in front of them. "Ah, Lloyd, you're here too," Gaepora noted, nodding in approval. "Outstanding. It's encouraging to see you up so early, given your capacity for sleep. No doubt today's ceremony had you too excited to close your eyes for once!"

"Er, yeah, definitely," Lloyd agreed, flustered. "Or… something like that."

Gaepora gazed up at the goddess statue thoughtfully. "If you win today's ceremonial race, you'll get to participate in the post-race ritual with Zelda, so give it your best out there." What? What did that mean? Was he implying something? Lloyd felt his face heat up. He didn't need a ceremony to be alone with Zelda. It would be a special moment though-

"Yes…" Zelda said, interrupting Lloyd's thoughts. "About that…" She suddenly seemed gloomy, the harp now clutched to her chest and her gaze downcast. Frowning, Lloyd's brain raced to find a reason for the abrupt change.

Lloyd opened his mouth to give some kind of assurance but before he could Zelda burst out," Father, I don't know if he can do it!" Wha-? "Recently, Lloyd hasn't been practicing much at all for the ceremony." Oh. Oh no. His face paled slightly as he realized this was a scolding. "And even when he's out riding his loftwing, he's just lazily gliding around. Probably daydreaming!" Lloyd flinched. That wasn't entirely true. He didn't understand why so many people were convinced he barely studied or trained. He did. He just did it differently. "I don't know what he's thinking. He's going to have to be in perfect control of his bird to win today. Morro certainly hasn't been slacking off like he has." Well at least she wasn't scared he'd lose to Groose.

"I have been training," Lloyd tried to plead. "I practiced a lot yesterday."

Zelda whipped around and Lloyd shrunk under her glare. "Because Kai and the others basically forced you to."

Lloyd squirmed, trying to come up with an argument that wouldn't make her more mad. Thankfully, Chief Gaepora came to his defense.

"No need to worry yourself, Zelda," Gaepora assured her, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Though you may have a point." Or maybe this wasn't a defense. "Today's Wing Ceremony tests the skill of the riders as well as his bond with his bird. Victory will not come easily. And, as you pointed out, I haven't seen him practicing as hard as some of the other students." Seriously, not a great defense so far. "But you've known him since you were both very little. You should know better than to fret about him!" Alright, they were tipping towards the positive things now, good, good.

Zelda huffed. "Me knowing him so well is why I worry."

Gaepora's eyes slid to the circular stone pattern in the platform beneath them. "Lloyd has been a talented rider from the start. You see, Lloyd and his loftwing share a special connection. I've never seen anything like it." The man tilted his head to look up at the bird circling high above them. "Each of us in Skyloft is but one half of a pair. We are only made whole by our loftwing, the guardian birds that the goddess bestows each of us as a symbol of her divine protection. It is a momentous occasion when a youth meets their loftwing here under the great statue of the goddess." A fond smile appeared on the man's face, expression reminiscent. "Ah, but that first meeting between Lloyd and his loftwing was extraordinary. The bird that came to him was an Emerald Loftwing. It is a breed so rare we were sure that it had vanished from the line."

Lloyd still didn't really get why everyone thought his loftwing's color was such a big deal. Yeah, it was the only one of its kind. Yeah, it was a brighter green than other green loftwings and green loftwings were one of the rarest colors already. But it was just a color at the end of the day. His loftwing was awesome because he was awesome, it had nothing to do with his feather color. Morro's bird having dark green feather didn't make his bird lesser than Lloyd's.

"Yes," Gaepora recalled, "and the boy and his bird seemed to share a profound connection from the moment they met. I'm sure you remember it as well as I. What a sight! The little boy just hopped up on that bird and gracefully flew away, without even a moment of instruction! And judging by how jealous you were that day, I'd say the friendship shared with his bird didn't go unnoticed by you my dear." Zelda still didn't look happy, but at least she didn't seem mad.

Thinking back to his first flight was magical even now. He'd ridden on his parents' birds before, but riding on your own was something different. He'd been so small back then. Even on his tiptoes he'd barely been as tall as his loftwing's legs, the bird had needed to crouch just so Lloyd could clamber on.

Fondness warmed Lloyd's heart and he cast out his senses for his bird. It wasn't something everyone could do, it was hard to explain, but he didn't need to be able to see his bird to feel his presence.

Nothing.

Lloyd frowned. This was… How could there be nothing? There'd never been nothing. He searched the sky visually for bright green feathers. There were no clouds nearby at the moment, he should be able to see him. He could see Zelda's and Gaepora's, but no sign of his own. A nervous chill crept up his spine.

He was only half listening as Gaepora continued, "Ah, but who could blame you? I'm sure you weren't the only one envious of the powerful bond shared by Lloyd and his bird. Anyone who is a part of something special is bound to catch some nasty looks sooner or later." The man let out a chuckle.

His bird wasn't up there. A pit opened in Lloyd's stomach. How was that-? Maybe it wasn't his bird, maybe there was something wrong with Lloyd. He didn't feel sick, but his bird had to be okay, right? How could something even-?

Zelda sighed, then huffed in frustration. "This contest is nothing to laugh at, Father! This ceremony is part of the final test for those training to become a knight of Skyloft!" She nervously plucked at one of the harp strings, a single note ringing out over and over again. "If Lloyd doesn't fly well enough during the race…"

Maybe he just needed a different angle? Lloyd started to drift sideways so he could see behind the goddess statue.

"Calm down, my dear," Gaepora soothed. "It will be fine." He shook his head. "Honestly, it's almost as though you become a completely different person when you worry about Lloyd."

Zelda was quiet for a few moments, then her troubled eyes hardened with determination. She turned and marched towards Lloyd, who wasn't paying attention. He was kind of having a crisis.

"Listen, Lloyd, you'd better fly your heart out today," Zelda ordered. "At the very least, you need to squeeze in a warmup before the race!" She grabbed his arm and started dragging him along. He didn't fight her, more occupied with scanning the skies above them for his loftwing. "Come on, you'll thank me later."

Lloyd jolted when he realized they were on a skydiving platform. The wooden structure jutted off the island into the open sky, ready for someone to use it to dive off and mount their loftwing. Why were they here? What were they doing?

"Here we are," Zelda declared. "Go on now. Jump and call your loftwing. It's almost time for the ceremony, so be serious for once."

"Wait, Zel," Lloyd protested, trying to scramble away from the edge, but Zelda blocked him. "I can't right now. My bird- I can't sense my bird. I don't think he's nearby."

Zelda's eyebrows furrowed, the reaction anyone would have to such an outlandish claim. A loftwing was always near its rider. For it not to be- it never happened.

"What do you mean you can't 'sense' your bird out there?" Zelda asked, sounding genuinely confused. She wasn't the only one. "Oh wait, I get it." Her eyes narrowed. "You're trying to weasel out of having to practice! Nice try, but you aren't fooling me."

Lloyd shook his head desperately. "No, Zelda, I'm being serious. He's not there. I can't see him either. I don't-"

If he'd known Zelda was going to push him, he could have braced himself and held his ground or dodged it entirely. He hadn't known though. One second Zelda was smiling brightly and saying, "Off you go!" and the next he was plummeting downwards, air billowing around him.

Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, Lloyd whistled for his bird, hope bubbling within him. Even if his loftwing was further away for some reason, he'd come when called.

He wished he was more confident in that.

Six seconds later and still no sign of his bird. You fell a long way in six seconds. No one was nearby to catch him, everyone was by the plaza getting ready for the ceremony. He was falling face up so he could see Zelda and Gaepora watching him from the island. They must realize something was wrong by now. Why wasn't his loftwing coming?

He tried whistling again. No response.

This really was not how he'd seen today going. He watched as Zelda dove off the platform, her bird coming when called, and the pair of them started nosediving after him. She would probably make it in time.

His heart was beating like crazy.

His eyes slid to the rapidly approaching cloud barrier beneath him. He really wanted Zelda to make it. He didn't want to die yet. He didn't want his friends and family to grieve for him. Kai and Nya especially would be devastated if Lloyd died in a way so similar to how their parents had died. Kai might never recover. He didn't want Zelda spending the rest of her life blaming herself for his death.

There was though, a part of him that wanted to see if there was something beneath the clouds. Was it nothing, a void like most people believed? Like his dad believed? Or was there at least some level of truth to the tales of the Surface? Maybe not the unimaginably vast land the legends said, but something. Chen's cultists believed in it enough to do crazy things. Maybe-

Large talons wrapped around his torso and he was rising, the cloud barrier once again becoming distant.

"Hang in there, Lloyd," Zelda begged him, voice very high pitched. He couldn't see her face from here, but she sounded scared. "I've got you."

Her bird practically crashed back onto solid ground. The loftwing collapsed, panting heavily. Lloyd's heart was hammering in his chest, and he didn't even try to push off from the grass yet. Zelda moved over to stroke her distressed bird.

Gaepora strode over to them at an urgent pace. "Are you two all right?"

"I'm fine," Lloyd answered breathlessly, heart finally started to slow down.

"I'm sorry, friend," Zelda told her bird softly. "I didn't mean to push you so hard. You didn't sprain your wing, did you?"

Lloyd sat up so he could see Zelda properly. She had a guilt-stricken face. Before he could try to comfort her though, Gaepora spoke again.

"This is very odd, Lloyd," the man said, expression deeply troubled. "What could have possibly happened to your loftwing? For a bird to ignore the call of his master… it's unheard of!"

"I have no idea," Lloyd informed him, standing up. "Everything was fine last night. The last I saw him was when I fed him after dinner. I haven't seen him at all today. And I still can't sense him." What if he'd gotten hurt somehow? How could that have happened though? There were no storms, no word of an attack from Chen. A loftwing wasn't a delicate butterfly, they were the strongest creatures in the sky.

"This is a problem," Gaepora frowned. "Especially considering the Wing Ceremony is about to start…"

"Lloyd," Zelda said, still crouched by her bird. She didn't look up from the feathers she was stroking. "when you said you couldn't sense your loftwing, well… I should have believed you…" She turned to look at him and Lloyd was horrified to see her eyes were wet. "I'm sorry."

"No, Zelda, it's fine," he rushed to assure her. "I get it. I know it sounded crazy. And you caught me so- no big deal."

"…" Zelda didn't seem convinced, but the threat of tears was gone. "I need to tend to my own loftwing," she said, casting a worried look back down at her bird. "I'll help you look for yours once I'm done."

They all startled as a loud clanging rang out in the distance. That was the academy bell, the first race was supposed to be starting.

"My, how did it get to be so late?" Gaepora fretted. "Your uncle is presiding over the ceremony, Lloyd. I will go speak to him, have the race delayed a little."

"Couldn't the second wave of racers go first?" Lloyd suggested.

It was Zelda who shook her head. "They won't be ready yet. They aren't expecting to race so soon. Besides, once word gets out about your bird being missing, people won't be able to give the ceremony the attention it deserves. Such a celebration shouldn't be tainted with a dour mood. And you know Kai and the others would miss seeing Nya's race to help with your search."

Lloyd deflated, recognizing she was right. She was usually right. This little incident had been one of the extremely rare exceptions.

"Quite right, my dear," Gaepora nodded. "Go search for your bird, Lloyd. I shall speak to Wu about the race."

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I do have pictures of the ninja's loftwings that I drew, but this site doesn't really have a way for me to show them to you. You can see them on this story in my achieves of our own posting of this story or see if they pop up if you google 'Ninjago Loftwings', so far the googling method has only given me kai's though.